Update on WHO and TFH activities - UNECE · Sept 2016: 1. st. Guideline Development Group (GDG)...
Transcript of Update on WHO and TFH activities - UNECE · Sept 2016: 1. st. Guideline Development Group (GDG)...
Update on WHO and TFH activities
Dr Dorota Jarosinska WHO European Centre for Environment and Health
Fifth Joint session of the Working Group on Effects and the Steering Body to EMEP
Geneva, Switzerland, 9-13 September, 2019
Presentation outline
• 22nd TFH meeting
• Implementation WP 2018-2019
• Relevant WHO activities
• Draft WP 2020-2021
• National and international policies and processes on air quality and health
• Review of the progress in research on health impacts of air pollution
• Update on AirQ+ software and capacity building activities
• Communication and public health messages for air pollution
• Discussion of current activities and work plan of TFH for 2020-2021
60 participants / 37 Parties to the Convention
22nd TFH meeting (15-16 May 2019)
*Funding from Switzerland and Germany acknowledged
Implementation WP 2018-2019 (1/2)Workplan item Activity description/objective
1.1.1.25Consolidate existing evidence on the health outcomes of exposure to air pollution
• Update of WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines: PM, O3, NO2, SO2, CO• Consultation meeting on health impact assessment of NO2 in the
European Region (February 2019)
1.1.1.26Further develop methodologies for assessment and quantification of direct and indirect effects of long-range transboundary air pollution on human health
• Updating AirQ+ software
1.1.1.27Evaluate the current knowledge on the health risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and identify critical gaps. • PAHs WG: Evaluate the current knowledge on the health risk of PAHs
and identify critical gaps
Implementation WP 2018-2019 (2/2)
Workplan item Activity description/objective
1.2.3Capacity-building for the health impact assessment of air pollution at the regional and subregional levels
• Developed capacity building curriculum• First training workshop on Air Quality and Health in Sarajevo, 2018
1.3.6Review the methods used for estimating burden of disease attributable to air pollution
• Through updating AirQ+ and regional input to global activities
1.3.7Review communication strategies for health messages related to air pollution, including on short-term episodes and for susceptible groups
• Regional input to global activities
Consolidation of evidence: Update WHO Global AQGs (1)
Sept 2016: 1st Guideline Development Group (GDG) meeting
Jan 2017: Guideline proposal approved by the WHO Guideline Review Committee
2017-18: Systematic reviews (SRs) of evidence on long- and short-term exposure to PM, NO2,O3 and CO and selected health outcomes
March 2018: 2nd GDG meeting
2018: Finalization of risk of bias assessment tool(s)
June 2019: 3rd GDG meeting Review of draft SRs Adaptation of GRADE framework Other relevant reviews Approach to setting interim targets
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Consolidation of evidence: Update WHO Global AQGs (2)Next steps: Finalisation of SRs and submission to a peer-
reviewed journal
Feb 2020: 4th GDG meeting Deriving guideline values and
formulating recommendations
Drafting of a guideline document
Completion of first draft of a guideline document
Development of complementary documents
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Funding/in-kind support from the European Commission (DG Env), Germany, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, and USA
Bonn, Germany, 26 - 27 February 2019
22 experts including the Chair of CIAM and Co-chair of TFIAM
Discussed:
Relevant reviews of evidence
Exposure assessment
Methodological advances in health impact assessment
Communication
Knowledge gaps
* Meeting report is expected to be published in 2019
Consolidate evidence: Expert Consultation on Health Impact Assessment (HIA) of NO2 in the European Region
Develop methodologies: tools
AirQ+ - a software to quantify the health effects of air pollution, released in 2016
Uptake of the tool (2016-2019): Countries: 28 (2016-17); 84 (2016-19) Cities: 60 (2016-17); 164 (2016-19) Used manly by Environment (50%) and Health sector (42%) For the purpose of research (73%) and policy interventions (34%)
Three language versions: English (2016), Russian (May 2018), French (Oct 2018)
Next steps Release a new version AirQ+ 2.0
Additional modules, such as multiple data entry Revision of the methods for risk assessment of carcinogenic air
pollutants, using Unit Risk Identification of priority updates and improvements
Production of additional supporting documentation Dialogue with other WHO tools
Capacity building: WHO training workshop on Air Quality and Health
First training workshop: Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 12-16 November 2018 26 public health and environmental experts from West Balkans Five-day long training with mixed training format: lectures, small group
discussions, hands-on exercise Delivered in cooperation with UNECE and UNEP
Second training workshop: Tbilisi, Georgia, 12-15 November 2019 Participants from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia Four-day long training with mixed training format: lectures, small
group discussions, hands-on exercise Delivered in cooperation with UNECE and EEA
WHO Expert Consultation: Risk Communication and Interventions to Reduce Exposure and to Minimize Health Effects from Air pollution (12–14 February 2019, Geneva, Switzerland)
Objectives: Discuss and agree on the best way to communicate potential
risks related to air pollution to different audiences and to offer indications on how to reduce people’s exposure
Provide practical advices, given the current evidence Identify priorities for the next steps (incl. research gaps)
WHO Summary report on expert advices and mapping priorities for the different topics
Under revision by a wider group of experts and medical societies Expected release in 2019
Relevant WHO activities
WHO European High-level Conference on Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs): Time to deliver – meeting NCD targets to achieve Sustainable Development Goals in Europe (Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, 9–10 April 2019)
Relevant WHO activities
Agenda included discussion how we do approach
actions on air pollution as part of the efforts to
reduce the burden of NCD
A Science-Policy Initiative: Air Pollution and Health
A science-policy statement released in June 2019
Private and public investments are insufficient and do not match the scale of the problem
Air pollution is preventable With sufficient action suffering and deaths from dirty air
can be avoided Clean air is as vital to life on earth as clean water. Air pollution control and reduction must be a priority for all Call for immediate action from all levels of society.
Other relevant activities
Draft WP 2020-2021` Consolidate existing evidence on the health outcomes of exposure to air
pollution
Further develop methodologies for assessment and quantification of direct and indirect effects of long-range transboundary air pollution on human health
Evaluate the current knowledge on the health risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and identify critical gaps.
Capacity-building for the health impact assessment of air pollution at the regional and sub-regional levels
Development of communication strategies for health messages related to air pollution in Europe
* Consulted with countries during 22nd TFH meeting in 2019 (15- 16 May 2019, Bonn)
Thank you for your attention
http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/environment-and-health